Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-09-06
GAa~--
WOMAN AND HOME.
LIFE OF THE TENEMENT HOUSE
BABY DURING THE HOT SEASON.

Rules for the Young Observation-Disclosures
in Literature-The Voice of Children
iarriage-Crime's Reginnings--A Drink
for Baby-Odds and Ends.
But how fares it with the baby of the tene-
ment2
The tenement baby, like its aristocratic
compeer, awakes early i'll the morning, too.
It is awake at dawn and then dozes OF into
fretfHl sleep again. 1t awakened at short in
tsryals during all the first part Of the night
and reused its tired, impatient mother with
its peevish wailing. Its lips are parched and
its thin hands hot; its eyelids but half closed.
1t rolls its head now and then in a feeble way.
1t seems consumed with heat, but when its
mother puts spoonful Of water between its
lips the weakened stomach refuses 10 take the
liquid,
1c father, worn with his days tUll, Is
angered at the suffering innocent disturbing
his sleep. Harshly. perhaps, he chides his
wife for not hushing the child. She gives to
it an empty breast from which it turns with
renewed wailing. Then she tries another ex-
pedient. She hastily prepares some milk and
water and feeds the baby a few spoonfuls.
She knows it is good milk. Did she not buy
it herself of Jacob. who keeps four COWS in a
rear shed, and sells the lacteal fluid they
supply so much cheaper than she can get it
of milkman? To be sure the poor kline
stand day after day, from weeks end to
weeks end, from one month 10 another, in
the same stalls almost knee high in offal.
But she is certain it is good milk, real cows
milk, for did she not see Jacob milk the
COWS!
So she gives it TO her baby, trotting it up
and down on her knees the while It is
teething, and the summer heat makes it i'll.
She is so worn that scarcely can she keep her
weary eyes open till she has finished feeding
her offspring. Then she takes it back into
the bed occupied by herself and the father.
He turns over as she lies down, and testify
"hopes the young 'un viii keep still now it's
got its stomach full"
Scarcely has the mother fallen asleep before
another cry arouses her The milk and water
put down the little ones throat has been re-
jected by its stomach. Again she rises and
turns up the wick Of the smoking kerosene
lamp She handles the child up and down,
for she knows not what to do TO quiet it.
Its wailing disturbs other inmates of the
tenement Out of a window a neighbor
woman puts her head and calls to her:
"Reach out your hand" she says; 1--WE
got q bit of medicine that will quiet the
baby"
She gives her bottle and bids her admin
lister half teaspoonful. 1t is brown liquid,
and has a strange smell She gives it to her
infant unhestatingly. Then it falls into a
heavy sleep that lasts till dawn. When it
awakes it frets, but it does not always fret.
Its eyes are heavy and have a glazed look.
9TH children's eyes always do look bad
when they're teethin', says an old dame who
comes in to borrow a half cup of sugar.
The tenement baby's hands and face are
not sponged when it awakes. Its mother is
very busy getting breakfast. Instead of fresh
breezes the odor of sizzling salt pork comes
to the nostrils of the sick infant. The father,
or an older child, feeds it crackers and water
ito keep it quiet" until the morning meal is
on the table The mother sits down with it
in her lap 1t gets now and then a "bite Of
potaton or q 'sip of coffee" for it is hand
fed baby.
The flies buzz around it, covering its soiled
robe and lighting on its feverish mouth.
Some time during the day its mother will
wash the hand fed, tenement baby and
change its clothing if she has the garments.
She will tell her neighbors that she cannot
keep it clean, for ats victuals will not stay
down."
Thus the tenement baby frets and frets
through the summer days. If by chance an
unusual allowance of constitution carries it
through, it is with diseased digestive organs
which may affect its life.
The tenement house, hand fed baby may
be a worthless drunkard or a criminal, be-
cause during the first three years it lived it
was half starved for food and fresh air.
The tenement house, hand fed baby may
be corpse before half the summer is run,
because it was quite starved for proper food
and the blessing of heaven, which should be
free and easy to get-fresh air.-Chicago
News.